Fabric pleating guide



Sept. 22, 1970 f P. D. WARNER '3,529,652

FABRIC PLEATING GUIDE Filled Sept. 19, 1968 INVEAITOR.` F.' 1 PHILIP D; WARNER Bwv/Wwk Y ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,529,652 FABRIC PLEATING GUIDE Philip D. Warner, 15 Bristol Lane, Kings Park, N.Y. 11754 Filed Sept. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 760,824 Int. Cl. A47h .I3/14 U.S. Cl. 160-348 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device to facilitate the pleating of fabric which, in a flat unfolded condition, is positionable about the fabric and folded in unison therewith into an accordion-type configuration and, as a consequence, produces pleats in the fabric.

The present invention relates generally to a sewing aid, and more particularly to an improved device for forming pleats in fabric, such as is often required in the sewing of curtains and other such products.

In sewing curtains and similar products, it is often desirable to enhance the appearance of the product with pleats. The pleating operation, although simple and consisting merely of producing bodily folds in the fabric, nevertheless is tedious and demanding on the seamstress if non-uniform pleats are to ybe avoided. The seamstress will usually accurately measure each fold, then individually pin or otherwise hold each fold in place until the desired number of pleats is completed. These pleats are then tacked or otherwise retained in place and the pins removed from the fabric.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pleating guide which eliminates the aforesaid tedious hand operations as well as overcoming other shortcomings of the prior art hand methods of producing pleats. Specifically, it is an object to provide an improved pleating guide which is of simple construction, and easily put to use for its intended purpose by being placed along the edge of the fabric and then reduced to an accordion-type folded configuration in unison with the fabric, with the result that pleats are produced in the fabric.

An improved pleating guide demonstrating objects and advantages of the present invention is formed by a elongated, foldable body having an arrangement of metallic inserts, each enclosed in an individual pocket formed in front and rear fabric covers of the body, and which arranged renders the body foldable only in the spaces left between the inserts, the rigidity of the inserts preventing any folding in the remaining body areas coextensive with the inserts. Thus, in accordance with the contemplated use of the pleating device hereof, by positioning the device along an edge of the fabric and moving the foldable body through its folding movement as controlled by the spaced relationship of the inserts, it is readily possible to quickly :and easily produce uniform pleats in the fabric.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiments in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 15 are illustrations of a first embodiment of pleating guide according to the present invention, namely to wit:

FIG. 1 is an isolated front elevational view thereof, with a corner portion broken away to better illustrate internal structural features;

FIG. 2 is similarly a front elevational view, but illus- "ice tr-ating the pleating guide in its operative position in relation to a fabric to be pleated;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2 illustrating the pleating guide in its closed position about an edge of the fabric;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the pleating guide in its position about the fabric and -at an intermediate position of movement during its folding movement; and

FIG. 5 is a partial front elevational view of the pleating guide in its fully folded condition producing pleats in the fabric;

FIGS, 6 and 7 are illustrations of a second embodiment of the pleating guide hereof, namely to wit:

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but on a reduced scale, illustrating the pleating guide With a spacing attachment in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a partial front elevational view, on an enlarged scale and with portions broken away to better illustrate internal structural features, illustrating further details of the spacing attachment.

Reference is now made to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. l-S illustrating a first embodiment of a fabric pleating guide, generally designated 10, demonstrating objects and advantages of the present invention. The pleating guide 10 is particularly useful in forming pleats in curtains and other such products and, to this end, consists of an elongated body foldable at delineated intervals along its longitudinal extent into an accordion-type folded configuration. This folding movement is readily understood from progressive examination of FIG. 4 illustrating an intermediate position of movement and from FIG. 5 illustrating the completed accordion folded condition of the guide 10. In its contemplated use in accordance with the present invention, the fabric F and the foldable body 10 are folded in unison, thereby providing pleats P in the fabric which are then retained by tack stitching or the like.

In the first illustrated embodiment 10 of the pleating guide, the body consists of front and rear body covers 10a, 10b, respectively, placed in confronting relation and secured to each other, as by stitching or adhesive attachment or other appropriate means, along not only the confronting peripheral edges of the covers but also along vertically oriented lines, individually and collectively designated 10c, and along a longitudinally horizontally oriented line 10b which divides the foldable body 10 in half. The effect of the peripheral attachment and the lines of attachment 10c, 10d, are to form individual pockets 10e in two rows extending the longitudinal extent of the body 10 and located on opposite sides of the center line 10d. However, prior to securing the body front covers 10a and 10b to each other, as just described, an appropriate number of metallic inserts 12, in an appropriate rectangular shape and of a size which fits within the rectangular pockets formed throughout the body of the guide 10, are placed in the spaced relationship as illustrated, wherein a slight clearance C exists between the long edges of adjacent inserts 12 and also along the center line 10b between the confronting short edges of the inserts 12. As a consequence, the body 10 is foldable along fold lines coextensive with the clearance spaces C since the body in these areas consists only of the flexible plies of the body front and rear covers 10a and 10b, preferably of fabric, and in its remaining areas is prevented from being folded by the rigidity of the metallic inserts 12.

The manner in which the pleating guide 10 is used to produce pleats in a fabric curtain F or the like, can best be understood by progressive examination of FIGS. 2-5 which illustrate the pleating operation. Initially, and as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, the body 10, while in the flat and an unfolded condition is placed along an edge of the 3 fabric F with the lower half beneath the fabric body. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the upper half of the body is closed upon the fabric edge as a result of folding movement along the center fold line 10d. This results in the fabric F being firmly gripped between the two halves of the foldable body 10.

The next step in the pleating operation is illustrated in FIG. 4 which shows the folded body 10 in an initial folded condition in which it starts to assume an accordiontype configuration. This is the result of the segments of the body between the fold lines 10c alternately folding upon themselves about the fold lines 10c. Finally, as depicted in FIG. 5, the foldable body 10 reaches its completely folded accordion condition together, of course, with the fabric F such that pleats P are formed in the fabric below the pleating guide 10. Tack stitching, as illustrated in FIG. 6 by reference numeral 14, or other such appropriate means are used in retain the pleated condition.

In the second embodiment of the pleating guide hereof, illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, similar structural features are designated by the same but primed reference numerals. Except for an added spacing attachment 16, the details of which will be soon described, embodiment 10 is substantially similar to the embodiment already described; although to illustrate the range of materials of construction possible for constructing the body 10', it will be understood that the front and rear covers 10a', 10b are made of heat fusible plastic and the pockets for the internal inserts, as a consequence, are advantageously formed by the vertical heat seals 10c and a horizontal heat seal 10d.

As best shown in FIG. 7, the spacing attachment 16 includes an enclosure 16a formed by a peripheral heat seal 1611 so as to effectively enclose an elongated shaped insert 18 which will be understood to be of a length at which it is desired to space successive groups of pleats P in the fabric F. The spacing attachment 16 is advantageously secured to the body 10 by a peripheral heat seal 20 which connects the two so that the spacing attachment 16 extends longitudinally from the bottom of the guide 10 permitting the free end of the attachment 16 to be placed against the previously formed group of pleats P. Thus, when the pleating guide 10' is then folded into its accordion shape the next group of pleats are located from the previously formed group by a distance determined by the length of the attachment 16.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric pleating guide for pleating curtains or the like formed by an elongated body foldable at delineated intervals along its longitudinal extent into an accordiontype folded configuration, said body comprising confronting front and rear body covers, plural inserts arranged in a prescribed spaced relationship disposed between said covers to form said foldable body so as to be foldable along fold lines delineated by the spacing between said inserts, and means joining said confronting surfaces of said covers to form individual pockets for said inserts effective to hold said inserts in said prescribed spaced relationship, and said foldable body also being foldable along a longitudinally oriented fold line located along the medial portion thereof, whereby said body is adapted to close upon a fabric edge inserted therebetween as a result of folding thereof along said longitudinally oriented fold line to thereby more firmly grip said fabric during the pleating thereof.

2. A fabric pleating guide as dened in claim 1 wherein said body covers are fabricated of heat fusible plastic and said means joining the same are heat seals.

3. A fabric pleating guide as defined in claim 1 including an elongated spacing member secured to an edge of said body so as to extend lengthwise thereof and effective to serve as a spacing guide for successive pleating locations along said fabric.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,301,047 11/ 1942 Hendley. 2,422,963 6/1947 Hess 160-348 2,474,552 6/ 1949 Steinmeyer 160-348 2,595,549 5/1952 Sherman 223-32 X 3,090,533 5/1963 Claeys et al. 3,400,868 9/1968 Euzarraga i60-348 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 223-32 

